How we and your Scholarship Winners are forging on
Dear 431 Exchange Supporters,
We hope this letter finds you and everyone in your world healthy. Like most all of you (unless you are frontline workers, of course), we are staying home and staying safe. We’re writing to update you on what’s happening with The 431 Exchange. And we want to tell you that no matter what is happening in the world, we remain committed to carrying on the civil rights and educational legacy of the Adult Education Center. We remain steadfast in our goal to help students and others become the heroines and heroes of their own stories.
Here’s the latest news from our corral:
Jeff and Amy visiting the Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Bangkok, Thailand
Jeff Geoffray, our co-founder, returned from a business trip in Malaysia at the same time COVID-19 hit U.S. shores. Thankfully, after two weeks of self-quarantine, he was fine. He was scheduled to speak in China right when the virus was wreaking havoc on the country, but that engagement was cancelled, for which we are also grateful.
While social distancing at home, and working their day jobs, both he and fellow founder Jeanne Geoffray have been hard at work on various projects related to the 431 Exchange, such as the book about the Adult Education Center, which will lay the groundwork for a TV series based on the school. If you’re not a member of our Facebook group, we encourage you to join. There, you’ll find all our latest news and more.
We’re still on track to give out nine scholarships this year, thanks to your donations. We checked in with last year’s winners, and here’s what they had to say:
Rose Brundage, who is studying Medical Billing and Coding at Goodwill Technical College in New Orleans, is doing “great.” She has one semester left and is using Skype to attend classes and connect with professors.
Mia Robinson is one of our legacy recipients. She is the granddaughter of Paulette Robertson Dunams, Class of 1969. She’s studying Exercise Physiology and Pre-Physical Therapy at Baylor in Texas. She writes,
“I am doing as great as I can be during this big transition. I am still trying to get adjusted to the new methods my school has put in place to finish the semester. I am now at home since my school is closed, and asked all students that are able to return home to do so. I will be returning to Baylor on campus for the upcoming fall semester. Thank you for reaching out to me, and I pray all is well with you and your family.”
Catrease Newsome is another of our legacy winners. She is the niece of Gail Collins Steele, Class of 1970. She is studying for her Master’s in computer information systems at Southern University in New Orleans.
“My family and I are doing well,” Catrease writes. “I’m currently doing online classes, and hopefully for the fall semester, we will be back on campus. Thank you so much for thinking about me. Many blessings to you and your family!”
We’re relieved these students are doing well. But COVID-19’s impact on countless others has been grave. Many students, especially low-income ones, encountered unanticipated costs as their dorms closed, forcing them to find movers and last-minute flights home. Jobs have ended abruptly, and bills are due. Meanwhile, if colleges and universities are forced to cut classes that contain labs and practicums in coming months, they could lose financial aid if their status moves to that of a part-time student. The bottom line is:
The 431 Exchange scholarships to be awarded in 2020 will dramatically change a student’s life forever, keeping them on track.
Wishing you health and strength in the coming months,
The 431 Exchange